IN
IN
IN
Weeks passed by and Sora was doing many tasks.
She was a runner, a janitor, an usher, wardrobe picker-upper or deliverer, set out the props, stage crew helper…Anything that people needed help with, she was on it.
With her bag of rolled up posters and heavy duty stapler, she went about replacing any posters that had been damaged in the recent rainstorm. The new ones were laminated in order to prevent the need of redoing the task. Humming, she took down the ruined poster and took the rubber band off of a rolled up one.
She paused with the poster in hand, taking in how Leon and May looked as Romeo and Juliet.
She swallowed and then pushed her thoughts aside.
With one hand keeping the poster against the board, she resumed her humming as she stapled the new poster.
IN
Opening night had been a success.
May had soaked up the applause. She had even gotten a few roses from them. The attention from the fans had covered up the lack of attention from Leon. She really hadn't noticed it for a good two weeks until she had been searching for him one night when they were needed on the main stage for practice and advice from Cathy.
The night had been chilly, causing his long silver hair to flutter as he leaned on the railing looking at something.
She couldn't say that she still had romantic feelings for him. After him dropping her during Dracula and then his strange absence after they won their trophies at the Circus Festival, she wasn't keen on having him as a boyfriend anymore.
Though, she was still attracted to him.
He's one of those guys that are great to look at, but not really boyfriend material. Eye candy, she mentally supposed. I guess that's why he hasn't been taken before.
"Leon, we're needed inside."
He stayed by the railing, looking at whatever had his attention. She had wondered if he had heard her when he suddenly stood up and walked over to the building. Curious about what had his attention, May peered over the edge of the bluff that overlooked the property.
Her jaw dropped upon seeing Sora wiping down the orb poster near the entrance.
He was looking at her? She didn't think Leon had an interest in Sora anymore after her failure to become his partner for the festival. Sora didn't even win! I did!
May frowned. Can I say I won over her if she dropped out?
She closed her mouth with a snap of her jaw. That could be a valid reason why Leon was looking at Sora. Her win hadn't been definitive. The battle for the position of Leon's partner was not over.
Her hands clenched tightly.
IN
Kalos paid his cab fare and then straightened up.
When Sora returned to do manual labor, Kalos hid his car so that Sarah couldn't exact revenge on it. He was getting tired of having to go to a car shop to repaint the car or fix whatever damage she did that she felt was warranted.
He had offered Sora a role as a member of either the Capulets or the Montagues, however she politely declined it. It was a minor role, but he had the feeling that she refused it for some other reason.
He adjusted his glasses and made his way over to the office. He would respect her decision for now, as long as it helped her overcome whatever qualms she had with performing. Many people were expecting great things from her, himself included. He didn't think it would hurt to wait for her to tell him when she was ready, especially without having a partner for her to perform with at the moment.
As he walked across the property, he spied Leon near the main stage building. Kalos frowned a little upon seeing Leon standing there with his head tilted up. The owner of the stage followed Leon's gaze up the building.
A smirk threatened to appear with the sight of a familiar redhead washing a window from atop a long ladder. She was oblivious to Leon's presence as she continued with her duty. Kalos casually slipped his hands into his pockets and walked off.
She may have a partner soon enough.
Then Sarah can stop terrorizing his car.
IN
After washing the smudge off of the window, Sora took out her checklist of duties for the day.
Taking her small pencil out, she crossed off another task.
Right, so now I need to put the special show programs in the VIP boxes. Should I have lunch before or after that? She pulled out her phone and checked the time. There was more than enough time for her to get another task done before her break. She nodded to herself and slipped the pencil and paper back into her pockets.
Her blue crew member button up shirt fluttered a little as she jogged over to get the programs, having preferred to leave it unbuttoned. As she passed by the main stage, she could hear the trumpets as they practiced.
I just have to enter quietly when I'm laying down the pamphlets.
It wouldn't be nice if she interrupted the practice.
IN
Cathy sat with a light frown on her face.
She stole a look over at Mia, seeing that the teen wasn't all too thrilled with the practice as well. Good. At least she can recognize when things aren't working. She didn't know what was eating at the leads, but something was draining out the energy of their performance.
They were doing fine in the beginning of the performances. She couldn't fathom what had happened to make them this bad.
When Leon spun above May instead of with her, Cathy had enough.
"Alright, cut the music!"
The trumpets sputtered out. The director stood up with her hands on her hips. "You two, front and center!" Her hand pointed at May and Leon and then with a snap of her fingers she pointed in front of her.
May looked taken aback to the demand while Leon looked impassive.
"Come on people, we don't have all day!"
At that, May scrambled over while Leon took his time.
IN
Layla stood by as Cathy lectured the two.
Today was the last day Layla was staying, as was the agreement. Leon had been upset—at least for him—over her presence at the stage again and had called for a meeting with Kalos early on. He didn't see the need for her to be here when Cathy was the one helping Mia with directing. Layla could tell that Kalos had been intrigued by Leon's statement, though she doubted he knew what spurred them on.
Layla knew. Shortly after the festival, Yuri had paid her a visit.
She was sure that her presence rubbed Leon the wrong way because of what happened at the festival three years ago. In a rare moment of understanding, she could see how uncomfortable he would be, having lost her mother during her childhood. Rooms and random little things had set her off that reminded her of her mother; her father had finally decided to sell the house and move, putting most of her mother's things in storage.
She secretly kept a few mementos, but she was otherwise glad for her father's decision.
And so, she didn't put up a fuss over shortening her visit.
IN
What Layla didn't know was that her assumption was only one part of Leon's agitation over her being at the stage. He fervently stood by the idea that Layla was preventing Sora from growing. So when she showed up on the property he was afraid of Sora getting stuck back under Layla's thumb.
He had threatened to leave if Layla was going to stay.
It had been a gamble on his part. Kalos benefited by having the winning pair of the festival at his stage, but Leon hadn't been certain if that would have been enough for Kalos to not let Layla stay. If Layla was going to stay for her original duration, Leon didn't think he could stomach being here for that.
He would not be a witness to Sora's decline.
Layla Hamilton had the strong power to overwhelm the girl and given how raw Sora's feelings were at the hotel, Leon wasn't certain if she currently had the strength to fend off Layla's words.
Those thoughts had been during the middle of Sora's third week in Japan.
As the weeks went by with her back, Leon could see that there was still a bit of tenderness from the festival, but she wasn't as vulnerable as during the competition. He had more faith in her ability to ward off Layla.
But he didn't think she was receptive to the idea of being his partner.
The squeaking of the doors pulled him from his thoughts.
IN
Cathy turned towards the sound and a wide grin appeared on her face.
"Oh Sora!"
Said teen stiffened upon being called on. By the expression on her face, it was noticeable that she hadn't meant to draw attention to herself. She probably could have easily sneaked in if the music was still playing, but with Cathy's heated lecture, the sound had been turned off.
There was no energy in the performance and here was a performer that could jumpstart it, based on what Cathy saw in New York.
"Could you do me a favor and come over here?"
Sora blinked and shifted the short stack of programs to her other arm. She began to walk down the steps to Cathy. "What do you need me to do?"
"I want to see your version of Juliet."
The words stunned the whole room. Sora's foot hovered over a step going down for a few moments and then she placed it down on the step going back up.
IN
Leon stared intently at her.
He could see her conflicted over wanting to perform and not wanting to come down any further. In the corner of his eye, he saw May look back at him and she made some irritated sound upon seeing his attention on Sora. He did not care what May thought at the moment.
He wanted to know what Sora would choose.
IN
May and Sora saw Cathy's request as an opportunity.
Sora wanted a chance to be the leading lady for the longest time and here it was, being offered to her. She was certain of her skills and her abilities, having been keeping up with her training so that when she fully returned to the stage, she'd be ready.
But was she really ready to accept it?
May wanted, once and for all, to have Leon's full acknowledgment as his partner. Now was the time for Sora to perform and then May would go again with her renewed energy. She'd take down Sora in front of everyone and no one could deny that May was the better option.
This would be the deciding match, May was sure of it.
IN
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AN: We're getting close! Ahh!
Side note: I've created a forum for Kaleido Star called "KS Think Tank!" to prompt story ideas as well as ponderings about the anime. But it's mainly for story ideas. :P